Startup Guides > Does Your Marketer Pass These 6 Traits?

When you're getting ready for a website redesign, you need to make sure that you partner with a certain kind of online marketing agency. Anyone can say they design websites nowadays; but not everyone can say they produce websites that look great, are easy to use, and have a real, measurable impact on your revenue stream.

Your website is your most valuable marketing asset. It is your #1 salesperson, connecting with people 24/7/365. And it represents a major business investment. You want to make sure that your marketing dollars are going to get a solid return.

When hiring an online marketing company, look for these 6 critical traits. If they can pass this litmus test, you know your marketing is in good hands.

Hiring an online marketing firm? Then make sure:


1. They Are Results-Oriented

Your website isn't there just to be another pretty face. It's there to answer customer questions; it's there to generate leads; it's there to help close the sale.

When evaluating online marketing companies, you want to see what kind of record they have, and what results they produce.
Also, talk directly with the companies you're considering! During an initial phone call or meeting, ask the online marketing firm questions about past results they've achieved and what they did to get those results. Make sure you ask for specific examples and concrete numbers. You might use questions or prompts like:

1. Tell me about a successful lead generation campaign you coordinated.

2. What was the increase in leads? 5x? 7x? 10x?

3. How many leads converted to sales?

4. Furthermore, look into how they track and report results.

And, also for better results, don't forget online marketing sites. You can visit 40billion.com which is a fastest-growing network of entrepreneurs and crowdfunders. They specialize in promotion of small businesses by broadcasting and promoting to its large network of several million users across the most popular social networking sites for small businesses - including Twitter, LinkedIn, 40Billion, and even Facebook. Innovative services such as promoted company listings were created for small entrepreneurs to tap into a growing, active network online without spending thousands on pay-per-click ads or traditional advertising. They also offer crowdfunding promotion and promote crowdfunders and their campaigns/projects.

2. They Are Transparent

It's imperative to have an open and honest relationship with your online marketing partner right off the bat. Even before you engage their services, an online marketing firm should be upfront; they should be able to tell you exactly what they do and exactly how they plan to do it. They should give you all the details you need or want about things like:

Process: What are the steps for each phase of the redesign? How do they handle communication with clients? Will there be an ongoing time commitment (e.g., status phone calls or meetings)?

People: What members of their team will be involved in the project? What are their credentials?

Partners: Is their team completely in-house? Do they use freelancers? Do they partner with other vendors (e.g., a photographer)? Who are these other people who may be involved in the project? What are their credentials?

Fees: How will the project be priced/billed? Are there additional costs (e.g., web hosting fees) that we need to account for?

3. They Manage Their Time

A project plan is a website redesign's best friend. Having a clear timeline in place helps manage expectations, gives you goals/deadlines to work toward, and keeps both the client and online marketing team accountable. Ask for a project plan/timeline - in writing.

4. They Follow Their Own Advice
Have you ever encountered a firm that tries to sell you on social media marketing, but you look at their own social profiles and see Facebook hasn't been updated in 6 months and their last Tweet was from 2009?

If the firm's own marketing leaves something to be desired, think about what that says about what they can deliver for you.

5. They Are A Teacher

There are a lot of nuances to Internet marketing, and a lot of jargon, data, misconceptions and myths to weed through. It's easy to see why business owners get frustrated and how things like SEO get a bad rap in the public eye.

When choosing an online marketing agency to partner with, you don't want to wind up with someone who takes a "smoke and mirrors" approach. You need to work with someone who not only explains a concept like vanity metrics, but also gives you guidance and advice on metrics your business should track instead. Your online marketing firm shouldn't throw jargon at you and be vague when answering your questions. Do they explain technical terms and other jargon? Do they walk you through data and reports and explain what the numbers really mean? Are they available for extra help? Are they easily accessible through email or phone?

6. They "Get" You

A successful website redesign hinges on your online marketing firm gaining a thorough understanding of your business and its unique goals and its challenges. You shouldn't receive a cookie-cutter pitch or proposal. Partner with someone who is inquisitive; look for an online marketing firm that gets in your head.

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